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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27230056">the start of something</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ballerinaroy/pseuds/ballerinaroy'>ballerinaroy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>romione drabbles [22]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Break Up, F/M, Post-Break Up</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:27:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,453</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27230056</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ballerinaroy/pseuds/ballerinaroy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Six months after their break up, Ron and Hermione find themselves together at a ball.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>romione drabbles [22]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870747</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the start of something</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Six months, almost seven since the fight that hadn’t ended. Since she had stormed out and he hadn’t come after her.</p><p>At first, she’d kept track of the days. Counting them up and down, marking a life without him. A life she’d never wanted, or never known to want depending on the day.</p><p>It wasn’t as though they didn’t see one another. For all their efforts to avoid each other, all their friends were the same, their plans and social commitments. They’d agreed (after Seamus’s birthday party which they had spent a good half hour screaming at one another in the kitchen) not to fight at them which, more often than not, meant they didn’t speak at all.</p><p>But they were both here, tonight. The second anniversary of the battle. Honored guests, a commitment they couldn’t escape no matter how much groaning and moaning they did about it.</p><p>“God I hate these things,” Harry hissed, tugging at the collar of his dress robe. “I swear if one more person tells me how proud my parents would have been-“</p><p>He dissolved into grumbles and Hermione, alarmed, met eyes with Ron for the first time that night.</p><p>“Oh but you look so handsome,” Ginny said, sharing their concern and swooping in. “Come on, let’s have a dance. I’m known for hexing people that interrupt.”</p><p>Harry grinned his bad mood dissolving and allowed Ginny to guide him away. Hermione smiled after them. She’d never been able to tackle Harry’s bad moods with as much grace. Ginny was good for him.</p><p>It didn’t occur to her that their buffer was gone until the band struck up another song and when she looked over to make a general comment about this being the first song produced after the war had ended, that she realized only Ron was in her audience. The comment fell apart before it could reach her lips. He knew. It had been their song after all.</p><p>“I uh,” she faltered, wanting to excuse the fact her mouth was hanging open.</p><p>“Care to dance?” he saved her.</p><p>“Not trying to break our riling up rule, are you?” she said, testing the waters.</p><p>Ron shook his head, giving her a grin that still did something to her heart. He offered his hand and they stood, claiming a corner of the dance floor where no one would bother them. Neither of them were particularly good dancers, but when he placed his hand on her waist and she rested her hand on his shoulder they moved in synchrony.</p><p>“This was our song you know,” Ron said as though it wasn’t the only thought running through her mind.</p><p>“I remember,” she agreed.</p><p>“I heard it on the wireless the other day.” He looked pained. “Our song came on and I needed to talk to you after I heard it.”</p><p>“So why didn’t you?” she asked, feeling overwhelmed. “Why did you talk to me?”</p><p>They’d stopped moving, stopped keeping time with those around them. It, as it often was, was only them in that crowded room.</p><p>“You said you didn’t love me, Hermione,” Ron said plainly. “You can’t just say something like that without meaning it.”</p><p>Tears filled her eyes. She wanted to duck into his chest. Wanted to run away. Wanted to turn back time and take those awful words out of her mouth. His hands pulled away from her though she tightened her grip to keep him there.</p><p>“Ron, please, let me-“</p><p>“Hermione let me go,” he told her firmly. “I told you I wasn’t going to start something, we agreed not to start something in public.”</p><p>She released her grip, honoring his request. It left them standing only a wand’s length apart, staring at one another. She didn’t want to let this go. Wanted a chance to explain herself. He wasn’t pulling away anymore. Looking just as miserable and what was already a terrible excuse for a party seemed ruined.</p><p>“Then can I take you home?” she braved. “Can I start something there?”</p><p>For a moment she was convinced he would say no. He was staring at her as though trying to pick the best insult to fling at her and then, defeated, he nodded and followed her back to collect their things.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Her flat was vast and empty compared to the one that they had shared. Purchased with the help (and taste) of her parents it lacked all of the feelings of being lived in that she had cherished. Ron had been there only once before, dropping off the last of her things</p><p>Now he frowned, looking around at the unpacked boxes and sharp corners. She pulled his attention away from the bookcases she had yet to fill and into the kitchen</p><p>“It’s a nice place,” Ron lied, opening and shutting a cabinet at random as she made them both gin and tonics.</p><p>“It’s not,” Hermione challenged. “Feels like a hospital in here.”</p><p>Ron snorted. “If you put up a picture or two you might feel different.”</p><p>Part of her didn’t want it to feel any different. Didn’t want to settle into her new life. She passed the glass to him, and they dinged their glasses together just as they’d always done and took a sip at the same time. The tension built between them as they swallowed and looked at each other from the corner of their eyes.</p><p>“Hermione I-“  Ron started just as she blurted out, “I’m sorry.”</p><p>They both stopped and Ron nodded at her to continue.</p><p>“I’m sorry, for what I said, I didn’t mean it.”</p><p>“Didn’t mean what?” he asked.</p><p>“Any of it,” she said and he sighed, not believing her. “I didn’t mean that I didn’t love you.”</p><p>“Hermione-“</p><p>“How could I not love you, Ron?” she asked, setting her glass down and trying to get closer to him. “Of course I love you, I’ve always loved you.”</p><p>He shook his head, pushing himself further away. “But that’s not all you said to me Hermione. You told me to move on and that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”</p><p>“I was a mess,” she told him, “I was overwhelmed by everything and you just had it all figured out.”</p><p>“That wasn’t true Hermione-“</p><p>“But that’s how it felt,” she pressed. “I was fresh out of Hogwarts. I was still having nightmares every night and you, you were settled into your job. You had friends. I was just tagging along and drowning and you were fine.”</p><p>He opened his mouth and then shut it again, shaking his head. The tears from before were back, falling out of her eyes and ruining what was left of her make up.</p><p>“Back then I lied when I told you I didn’t love you.” She continued. “You needed to move on from me… I needed to protect you from me.”</p><p>Again they stared at one another. Now it was Ron trying to get closer to her and she using the distance of the counters to keep him at bay.</p><p>“You never said,” Ron murmured. “You should have said-“</p><p>“I didn’t want to ruin you,” Hermione whispered. “You were fine.”</p><p>“I wasn’t <em>fine</em>, Hermione.” He insisted. “There was no part of me, <em>is</em> no part of me that’s fine. I spend all day at work terrified that I’m not cut out for this, even now.”</p><p>She struggled to comprehend.</p><p>“If you think I’ve got it all together it’s a fucking front Hermione,” he continued, stepping towards her again. “Believe me I’m trying. For mum and dad, for Harry….for you.”</p><p>Again they found themselves so close that she need only raise a hand to press it again his chest, to feel his heart thumping beneath her palm.</p><p>“I dunno, maybe there was a part of me that thought I had it figured out.” He continued, “Maybe you were right. But then you left me and it just, it just made me realize how fucked up I really was.”</p><p>Their eyes met and her pain was reflected in his.</p><p>“I’m sorry if I wasn’t there for you the way you needed me to be-“</p><p>“No, Ron, don’t do that,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to leave you but I think I needed to focus on myself.”</p><p>She felt his hand on her waist again, pulling them closer together.</p><p>“I’m still not okay,” she admitted, “Ron I’m still-“</p><p>“So am I,” he echoed, breath hot on her cheek.</p><p>“And I don’t want to hurt you,” she continued, feeling herself melting. “I’ve regretted those words-“</p><p>“I know,” he forgave her. “And I’m so-“</p><p>“I know,” she forgave him, stealing the words from him as her hand pulled on the back of his neck until their lips brushed together. “I know.”</p>
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